TNRD – Board ‘urgently’ asks for/ receives delay to pipeline assessment change
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
UPDATE: The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has been informed (Dec. 17, 2025) that, after further consideration, BC Assessment decided to not proceed with previously-planned changes to the valuation of “Gathering and Transmission Pipelines” for 2026.
A news release today said local governments were informed in September of the proposed change to how BC Assessment values pipelines.
“After being notified of this proposed change, TNRD Finance staff proactively prepared preliminary and detailed information for the TNRD Board on the significant negative impacts these changes would cause for taxpaying residents in many areas. After receiving this information, the Board advocated to Premier David Eby, the Ministry of Finance, and BC Assessment for this change to be postponed.
“The proposed change by BC Assessment would have decreased pipeline tax values by between 23-30% next year, which would have shifted a significant amount of annual TNRD property taxes from pipeline companies onto residential and business properties. Today, BC Assessment provided notice that pipeline tax values within TNRD boundaries will instead be increasing by approximately 7% in 2026.”
“The announcement that the regulated rates valuation model for pipelines will not change for the upcoming 2026 Assessment Roll Year is very good news for the many regional districts and municipalities that were dealing with the impacts of the proposed changes,” said TNRD Board Chair Barbara Roden.
“It’s especially good news for other property classes – particularly residential and business – which would have had to shoulder the burden of the proposed changes. The TNRD would have seen residents and businesses have to make up $1 million in lost pipeline revenue through increased taxation if the change had gone through.
“The TNRD was one of the first local governments to realize the implications of the proposed changes, and has been leading the way in advocating for these changes to be postponed. We are grateful that our suggestions have been listened to, and thank BC Assessment and the Province of BC for this decision. We look forward to working with BC Assessment and the Province to ensure that any future changes are done with fairness and transparency.”
ORIGINAL STORY: The TNRD is “urgently” asking the B.C. Finance Ministry to postpone changes to the way pipelines are assessed.
The board of directors approved sending a second letter to the ministry requesting changes by B.C. Assessment to valuation of “gathering and transmission pipelines” be put off until local governments are consulted.
At last week’s (Dec. 12, 2025) committee of the whole meeting, directors received a report from staff regarding tax implications as a result of the planned changes to pipeline values by B.C. Assessment. The Board also sent a letter to the Ministry on October 23, 2025, when preliminary tax impact information was available.
The Board was told that if changes to pipeline values are implemented in 2026 as proposed, there would be a substantial impact to the TNRD and Thompson Regional Hospital District (TRHD) budgets for the foreseeable future, unfairly shifting the tax burden to other property classes.
As proposed, this change by BC Assessment would shift 3.3 per cent of the tax requisition for the 2026 TNRD budget, and would shift 1.7 per cent of the tax requisition for the 2026 TRHD budget. The total amount of property taxes being shifted from pipeline companies to residential and business properties in the TNRD would be approximately $1.3 million each year, beginning in 2026.
“Proposed changes by B.C. Assessment to the value of pipelines would have substantial negative impacts for TNRD residential and business taxpayers, and consultation with local governments has been severely lacking,” said board chair Barbara Roden.
“Our board understands that these proposed changes have been under review for many years; however, local governments were only informed of the process in September,” she said.
“The abrupt notice provided by B.C. Assessment for changes of this magnitude is not sufficient for local governments to reasonably adjust their budgets and ease the anticipated tax burden that this now creates for residents and businesses.”
B.C. Assessment is planning to review valuation of other large-scale utilities, including railways, and has informed the TNRD that this could increase the value of other properties within the Utilities tax class and offset negative tax impacts for residential ratepayers.
The TNRD is asking that the status quo valuation of pipelines remain in effect for at least one more year, which BC Assessment has had in place since 1986.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
You know it’s kind of funny. This and a recent council meeting. Councillors were frustrated that the Province wasn’t responding to them and their letters. Almost like their input is being sidelined.
Does that sound familiar to anyone? That inquires and concerns are ignored?
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